Steve Lonegan, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, on Wednesday accused his Democratic opponent, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, of relying on outside help to improve his city, a day after a poll showed Booker with a smaller lead than many had expected.

Booker, meanwhile, emphasized his willingness to reach across the aisle to get things done. He joined Governor Christie, a Republican who has endorsed Lonegan, for the opening of a new charter school in Newark – part of a development that will eventually include retail space and housing for teachers.

“I’m the mayor of the largest city in the state; he’s the governor,” Booker said. “We have to work together across partisan aisles, and one of the reasons I’m running for United States Senate is to try to bring that spirit to the United States Senate.”

Booker shrugged off a Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday that said he has the support of 53 percent of likely voters in the October special election, with 41 percent supporting Lonegan. Booker’s 12-point advantage was smaller than many observers had expected.

“Polls don’t vote, people do,” Booker said. “I’m excited; it’s a spirited race. No on should take it for granted. We have to just keep pushing. I’m looking forward to a very good race.”

But Lonegan, a former Mayor of Bogota, said Booker’s appearance with Christie proved that Booker needs the governor’s help to run his city.

“Cory Booker cannot govern Newark without the governor’s help,” Lonegan said. “I was able to govern Bogota without me asking governors to come in and bail me out,” he added.

Showing reporters around the Bogota house he and his wife have owned for 25 years, Lonegan pointed out the stained-glass windows and polished wood floors, using the opportunity to jab Booker over a boarded-up vacant Newark building that the mayor owned until earlier this year, when he gave it to a charity he founded.

“We like to set an example for the community in the way we keep our property,” Lonegan said. “Apparently Mr. Booker doesn’t feel it’s necessary to set such an example, the way he maintains his property.”

Booker – who has endorsed and campaigned for Christie’s opponent in the gubernatorial race, state Sen. Barbara Buono – applauded Christie for working to help improve his city.

“Today’s press conference is about two of those things he and I leaned in hard to work on together, one of which was education and the other is development,” Booker said. “And so I want to say right now my gratitude to the governor.”